Stalin And The Soviet Union Essay

Stalin And The Soviet Union Essay

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In WW1 Stalin became General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party in 1922. Throughout his long period in office, he built useful alliances within the Party, identified potential threats to his rule and established a reputation for eliminating those who did not share his convictions. In 1940 Stalin 's assassins brutally stabbed Leo Trotsky to death in Mexico in 1940. The war distracted the Soviet people from Stalin 's excesses in previous years and generated patriotism and national unity. It also greatly strengthened the Soviet military.
Stalin was a cruel leader and as a matter of fact he was duped by Adolf Hitler and saw the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939 as a commitment in which Hitler and Stalin recognized that they shared common ideological views on a number of matters. The pact was seen by Stalin as a guarantee against a Nazi attack on the Soviet Union. However, when things did not go well for Hitler in his war against Britain, he caught Stalin by surprise when he attacked the Soviet Union in 1940. The Soviets bravely resisted; however, they bore the brunt of the Nazis ' attacks. Soviet forces under Stalin and with massive military aid from the West, made a decisive contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II. After the war, the USSR established itself under Stalin as one of the two major superpowers in the world, a position it maintained for the next four and a half decades.
With WW2 after a failed attempt to sign an anti-German political alliance with France and Britain, on 23 August 1939, the Soviet Union entered into a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, negotiated by Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. Officially a non-aggression tre...

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...t was dismissed due to shortages in grain and dairy products and his blame for the Cuban Missile Crisis. Leonid Brezhnev reversed most of the progress made by Krushchev and restored many of Stalin 's political disciplinary policies. During this time, there was an inefficient use land, labor and resources, which resulted in an economic slackening. Bureaucrats were paid for loyalty with material wealth and public interests were
placed secondary to personal gain. In the 1980 's, the already impoverished standard of living for Soviet citizens dropped dramatically. This caused strikes and public outcry against the administration, which threatened the stability of the Soviet Union. The people were angry because in exchange for their obedience, the Communist Party had promised them employment, free health care, and a level of comfort. None of these promises was fulfilled.

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- In WW1 Stalin became General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party in 1922. Throughout his long period in office, he built useful alliances within the Party, identified potential threats to his rule and established a reputation for eliminating those who did not share his convictions. In 1940 Stalin 's assassins brutally stabbed Leo Trotsky to death in Mexico in 1940. The war distracted the Soviet people from Stalin 's excesses in previous years and generated patriotism and national unity. It also greatly strengthened the Soviet military.... [tags: Soviet Union, World War II, Joseph Stalin]

- Life is the most precious thing on Earth, but what if it was taken just at the snap of a finger. Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union took millions of lives under his totalitarian rule. He was the most fierce and vicious leader in comparison to all the other rulers that enforced totalitarian rule. Due to governing and how many people were killed under Stalin’s rule is what makes the Soviet union during the 1920s to the 1950s the worst totalitarian state ever in existence. THE SOVIET UNION’S EXISTENCE Stalin believed that there needed to be a dictatorship that regulated every aspect of its citizens’ lives in order to industrialize the Soviet Union.... [tags: Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, Great Purge]

- Joseph Stalin is known for being a ruthless, communist leader of the Soviet Union. But many people are unaware about aspects of his life, other than being a dictator. Joseph Stalin actually chose to become a Bolshevik revolutionary after coming across Vladimir Lenin’s writings, when he was in a theological seminary. In addition to partaking in crimes, he also was an editor. Being the first editor of the Bolshevik daily, Lenin started to admire Stalin’s editing. One Soviet historian came across edited copy, made by Stalin, of the manuscript on Otto von Bismarck, at the time Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union were allies.... [tags: Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin]

- With the death of Stalin in 1953 artists of the Soviet Union found themselves with more political freedom, and they used this freedom to create art that expressed the inhumane actions that the regime continued to commit. During Stalin’s life Shostakovich constantly pushed the party beliefs, and after Stalin’s death Shostakovich began composing more of the music he deemed necessary. Twice in his life Shostakovich was denounced, and practically forced out his craft due to this formalist, anti-party music.... [tags: Russia, Soviet Union, Russians, Folk music]

- Joseph Stalin was born Josef Vissarionovich Djugashvili, which he later took the name Stalin, meaning “man of steel.” Stalin was an only child and had grown up poor. This lead to him being kicked out of school and becoming more and more interested in Russian politics.Joseph Stalin later became an important person in the future of the Soviet Union as the future dictator. Though Stalin did some great and possibly wonderful things during his years as dictator of the Soviet Union, he still did many more horrible things to outweigh the good that he did.The myth that Joseph Stalin had been a good leader and done more good than harm during his 24 year rule as dictator is false.... [tags: Soviet Union, Russia, Red Army, Vladimir Lenin]

- Joseph Stalin and Mikhail Gorbachev 69 years after Joseph Stalin facilitated the creation of the Soviet Union in 1922, Mikhail Gorbachev played a part in its collapse, resigning from office the day before it officially fell on Christmas Day. Both leaders had an enormous effect on Soviet Russia and the welfare of its state and citizens. Stalin was a communist, who continued and supported the single party state founded by his predecessor Vladimir Lenin. Gorbachev, even though he was originally a member of the Communist Party, worked against the Marxist ideals implemented by Stalin and Lenin and worked to reform Russia to a more open society.... [tags: Soviet Union, Cold War, Russia, Mikhail Gorbachev]

- Part II (Question 2/Influence of Stalin) Joseph Stalin was one of the most horrific leaders in the history of Russia. Stalin was responsible for the murder of millions of Russians, using fear as a means of leadership. Claiming he was a leader who ruled for the people, his actions proves otherwise. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union would transform in many ways, namely into an industrial and military superpower. Stalin truly wanted to see an end to peasantry and build a new modern-Russia. Following the death of Lenin, Stalin emerged as the new leader of Russia.... [tags: Soviet Union, Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis]

- World War II left the Soviet Union feeling uneasy; Stalin had lived to see his country invaded a total of three times. Stalin was determined to prevent further damage to his country, so he began creating a buffer zone by essentially forcing the countries of Central Europe to agree to a communistic government that was closely aligned with the USSR. Stalin created the Warsaw Pact in 1955, which bound Central Europe together. However, after Stalin died his iron grip was no longer available to keep the countries of Central Europe in line.... [tags: Soviet Union, World War II, Cold War]

- Joseph Stalins rule was profoundly beneficial politically and economically for the Soviet Union until 1938 however had a significant negative social impact. In the late 1920s Stalin was appointed the general secretary of the Bolshevik party in 1922. In 1924 Stalin expanded the functions of his role, all the while eliminating any opposition. By the late 1920s, he had made himself effectively the dictator of the Soviet Union, ruling with autocracy. Stalin aimed to industrialise Russia so it could become a great world power.... [tags: Politics, Economy, World History, Russia]

- It is not difficult to lay blame to either the United States or the Soviet Union for the causes of the Cold War; the blame is to be put on the Soviet Union. Joseph Stalin was not looking to do what was best for the economy or the people. His ideas of being a dictator became bigger soon after the end of World War II. He immediately looked to take control over Eastern Europe. His reasons for doing so were not for economic gain but for becoming a major world dictator. There were many differences between the United States and the Soviet Union, the main being their political and economic systems.... [tags: Joseph Stalin, Communism Essays]